3 minute read
Bring Me Speed has emerged as the horse most likely to topple Sacred Capital in the Macau Derby following a brilliant win in Saturday’s G1 Macau Guineas at Taipa.
Sacred Capital, has been a long time hot Derby favorite for July’s HK$2.6 million event following his dominant victory in the G2 Spring Trophy in February.
On that occasion he gave away 29 rating points at the handicaps to last year’s Derby winner Pearl Green when beating him comfortably on equal weights in the 1500 metre contest.
Sacred Capital then easily accounted for two other highly fancied Derby contenders in Eclair Lightning and Luen On Dance Kid with a dazzling all the way win from an outside gate in the MJC 30th Anniversary Cup again over 1500 metres.
Bring Me Speed was the dominant three year old from last season taking out the Listed Lisboa Juvenile (1200m) and the Lisboa Challenge (1500m) before capping that off with a G1 victory in the Rising Star Cup over 1350 metres on the sand.
The Derby was always foremost in the mind of owner Tam Vai Lam and trainer Victor Chan, however those plans were looking forlorn when the son of Sebring failed dismally at his first two runs back this season.
There were signs of some improvement with an encouraging sixth behind the dead heaters Mister Kaopu and Obrigado Mais over 1200m in January, before a huge last to first win over 1200m in the Fat Choy Cup in February.
Like Sacred Capital, Bring Me Speed bypassed the Macau Derby Trial and it was expected that the two would clash in Saturday’s Guineas over 1500m.
However that was not to be and it was left to Bring Me Speed to show that he was back with a vengeance when he unleashed his trademark whirlwind finish to come from near the tail of the field to beat Luen On Poseidon (Fausto Henrique) with Lover Paradise (Ruan Maia) third in front of Eclair Lightning (Shogo Nakano).
The hard luck story of the race was Luen On Dance Kid who was going to be right in the thick of things before being stopped dead in his tracks in the straight, when he failed to find clear running and went to the line untested.
Tam Vai Lam will be aiming for his second Derby having won the race in 2001 with the Kim Cheong prepared Take Champs under jockey Danny Brereton.
Chin Surges Ahead
Six winners over the weekend has seen Stanley Chin set up a seven win break on his nearest opponent Sio Cheong in the Macau trainer’s championship.
Chin, who is looking for his first Trainer’s Premiership Crown, saddled up 11 runners over the two days racing for six winners and one third placing.
Striking Achiever under Fausto Henrique was the first of Chin’s winners on Friday night when he fell over the line to win the Class 1 & 2 over 1050 metres (sand) beating the fast finishing Oriental Profit (Cliffy Lai.
Chin’s other entry in the race The Pirate King ran third under Luis Corrales.
Mochi Mochi ridden by the stable apprentice Eric Cheung gave Chin a quick double in the Class 3 & 4 over 1350 metres and the promising Chin’s Delight made it two wins on the trot when he romped home in the Class 5 & 6 over 1510 metres to make three for the night.
Saturday saw Chin strike early with his US bred import Fortune Paradise who took out the HK and Macau Retired Police Trophy over 1200 metres.
Fortune Paradise is the first of the great Animal Kingdom’s progeny to race in Macau and looks assured of a nice future the way that he powered home along the inside under jockey Fausto Henrique.
Chin again struck quickly in the next race the Class 4 with an easy win for Tron Kingdom in the hands of Peter Ho, with Roaring Star and apprentice Eric Cheung running away with the Class 2 over 1800 metres.
Macau’s newest jockey, the 40 year old Frenchman Stephane Ladjadj booted home his first winner in the enclave with a an easy three lengths victory with Moral Integrity in the Class 5 & 6 over 1200 metres.
Ladjadj has ridden over 700 career winners. He has been based in Qatar for over a decade and has also ridden successfully in Germany, Switzerland and India.
